I turned the alarm off and I turned on to time flying by.

According to the bible I am in the latter days of my life. Psalm 90:10s states, "As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years".

In Aboriginal society, I could be an Elder. An Elder is a very important member of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit communities. The term Elder refers to someone who has attained a high degree of understanding of life. The big challenge is that it really depends on the culture or community to define what makes an Elder. One common trait that I think all seniors have is the need to strive to show by example by living our lives according to deeply ingrained principles, values and teachings. So, here are some teachings that you may find interesting.

Working made me realize that people who “hate getting old “are idiots. You are allowed to hate becoming ill, becoming infirm, becoming depressed …. but don’t hate getting old it is far better than the alternative.

I am lucky to reach my age, I know that, and I am grateful.

Memory is a fickle friend, sometimes she stays with you and sometimes she leaves you when you most need her.

Certain memories last a lifetime, and they will never leave you, some you wish would, but they are like the "cat" who always came back no matter what you do. Other memories you want to stay but they keep slipping away and then rush back like the tide. In 1969 getting married, in 1963 listening in shock to the news of Kennedy's death; in 2010 seeing my grandson for the first time. Camping in Spain in the 1970s, In 1976 watching my daughter being born; watching my mother fight for her life. Seeing the Sydney Opera house.

Being a teacher…and seeing people at their very best.

Actions always speak louder than words and I tend to trust those who tell me they will do and do than those who tell me they will do and don't.

Friends are life, but at some point, they start to leave you, treasure them.

I no longer put up with bad behaviour, bad music, bad films or toxic people.

I don't watch news coverage on tv. I say what I think more, and I never talk about politics, or gun laws, or post a seemingly innocuous blog without thinking about it.

I now recognize that real friends are real in so much that they don’t rationalize affection, praise, or support. They just accept you.

I sleep if I can in the afternoon.

I think about what we did without phones and the internet and wonder what would happen if we went back to those days.

Be true to yourself; do things you want to do. Be what you want to be and help others to do the same.

If you love someone, tell them. Tell them as often as you can.

Move forward into your next year by embracing a new skill, a new career, or a new experience and realize that you deserve it.

Saying Goodbye

 A few days ago I lost an Aunt. She was the youngest of my Dad's sisters and only about 12 years older than me. She was a wonderful woman who played a big part in the early days of my life. As an adult, I did not see her as much as I should have and I regret that. In the past few years, I have only seen her at family gatherings to celebrate another lost life. Her death was not unexpected but in a way it was; she had been in and out of the hospital and we were not sure about how long she would last but she was a strong lady so we thought she would overcome. She did not.

She will be missed, as she was loved deeply, When we are grieving, it can be hard to put into words the wide array of emotions that we feel: regret, outrage, sadness, guilt, and helplessness among them. In times like this, it’s often helpful to turn to the wise words of others who have also experienced grief — both as a means of support and a reminder that things will get easier over time. As the renowned painter, Henri Matisse once said, “​​The pain passes, but the beauty remains.” Here, are some quotes that spoke to me as I deal with the grief.

Deep grief sometimes is almost like a specific location, a coordinate on a map of time. When you are standing in that forest of sorrow, you cannot imagine that you could ever find your way to a better place. But if someone can assure you that they themselves have stood in that same place, and now have moved on, sometimes this will bring hope. — Elizabeth Gilbert

To spare oneself from grief at all cost can be achieved only at the price of total detachment, which excludes the ability to experience happiness. — Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst  

Every one of us is losing something precious to us. Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back again. That’s part of what it means to be alive.   — Haruki Murakami  

Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.
— Anne Roiphe, writer

For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.
— Khalil Gibran 

Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break. — William Shakespeare

Grief starts to become indulgent, and it doesn’t serve anyone, and it’s painful. But if you transform it into remembrance, then you’re magnifying the person you lost and also giving something of that person to other people, so they can experience something of that person. — Patti Smith

If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.
— Thich Nhat Hanh

Can you remember all of these Lost Words of the 50's?

 Cheers and my thanks to Bruce and Aubrey  for sending me this 

This is an oldie, but still a goodie.

All the expressions are now replaced with the F*#*k bomb

The days of innocence are gone. It’s a new world called progress.

Mergatroyd!

Do you remember that word? Would you believe the spell-checker did not recognize the word Mergatroyd? Heavens to Mergatroyd!

The other day a not so elderly, (I say 75), lady said something to her son about driving a Jalopy; and he looked at her quizzically and said, "What the heck is a Jalopy?" He had never heard of the word jalopy! She knew she was old ... But not that old!

Well, I hope you are Hunky Dory after you read this and chuckle.

About a month ago, I illuminated some old expressions that have become obsolete because of the inexorable march of technology. These phrases included: Don't touch that dial, Carbon copy, You sound like a broken record, and Hung out to dry.

Back in the olden days, we had a lot of moxie. We'd put on our best bib and tucker, to straighten up and fly right.

Heavens to Betsy! Gee whillikers! Jumping Jehoshaphat, Holy Moley!

We were in like Flynn and living the life of Riley; and even a regular guy couldn't accuse us of being a knucklehead, a nincompoop or a pill. Not for all the tea in China!

Back in the olden days, life used to be swell, but when's the last time anything was swell?

Swell has gone the way of beehives, pageboys, and the D.A.; of spats, knickers, fedoras, poodle skirts, saddle shoes, and pedal pushers.

Oh, my aching back! Kilroy was here, but he isn't anymore.

We wake up from what surely has been just a short nap, and before we can say, "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle!" or, "This is a fine kettle of fish!" we discover that the words we grew up with, the words that seemed omnipresent - as oxygen - have vanished with scarcely a notice from our tongues and our pens and our keyboards.

Poof, go the words of our youth, the words we've left behind. We blink, and they're gone. Where have all those great phrases gone?

Long gone: Pshaw The milkman did it. Hey! It's your nickel. Don't forget to pull the chain. Knee-high to a grasshopper. Well, Fiddlesticks! Going like sixty. I'll see you in the funny papers. Don't take any wooden nickels. Wake up and smell the roses.

It turns out there are more of these lost words and expressions than Carter has liver pills. This can be disturbing stuff! (Carter's Little Liver Pills are gone too!)

 Leaves us to wonder where Superman will find a phone booth...

See ya later, alligator!

Okeydokey.

You'll notice they left out "Monkey Business"!!!

We are the children of the fabulous '50s. No one will ever have that opportunity again. We were given one of our most precious gifts: living in the peaceful and comfortable times, created for us by the "greatest generation!"

Given a chance to talk

I am a big believer in Serindipidty, in the past couple of months I have been working with the senior organization I am president of to create a program to bring people together.  We decided to start a bi-weekly Tuesday Talk Club. Once a month our Tuesday talk club will host a workshop run by an expert followed two weeks later by a Conversation Club that builds on the workshop. In addition to the topic based on the workshop, the Tuesday Talk Conversation Club will be a place where you can talk and laugh your way to new ideas and new friendships. You will have the opportunity to meet new people, and improve your listening and speaking skills. The Conversation Club will build on ideas presented by the experts. In addition, it will give you a chance to speak about and listen to ideas from a variety of perspectives. Topics may include culture, travel, life, social media, history, or just making small talk. with new friends. 

Fortunately, many seniors are leading healthy lives, empowered with knowledge and skills to continue to contribute to their communities. However, there is an increasing number of seniors faced with social isolation, especially those with little to no family nearby, or those with language barriers. Our Tuesday Talk Conversation Club and Workshops provide an opportunity for seniors to interact with each other in a positive, safe and friendly environment, so we think we will meet a need.

A few days ago I received this email below. The email addresses the issue that I have been working on, but it offers people a chance to meet online. I did check them out, and perhaps you should as well

Hello, I am the founder of Pastime https://www.pastime.com. We’re on a mission to empower active agers to foster meaningful connections, stay socially active, and fill their lives with the joy of new friendships. As we retire it becomes more challenging to find new friends and create new relationships (not romantic). Pastime offers live conversations with a small group of members in a video chat room. Listen in and share your thoughts in an unfiltered and welcoming setting. Our goal is that every person has someone to talk to whenever he wants. I love your blog and writing and would love to see if you can let your readers know about Pastime (we are 100% free) Best, Oded Rochman Founder & CEO https://www.pastime.com/